May appeals to voters to let her 'fulfil the promise' of Brexit
The PM says that the bright future offered by Brexit can only be realised if voters make the right choice on 8 June.
Thursday 1 June 2017 20:45, UK
Theresa May has called on voters on both sides of the Europe debate to unite in next week's General Election to give her a mandate to "fulfil the promise of Brexit".
In an attempt to keep the issue at the heart of the campaign amid criticism for , Mrs May used a speech to set out her vision of leaving the EU as part of a "great national mission" to build a stronger, fairer and more prosperous Britain.
The Prime Minister said this future can only be realised if voters make the right choice when they go to the polls on 8 June.
"The brighter future we want for our country will not just happen," Mrs May warned on a visit to the North East.
"This great national moment needs a great national effort in which we pull together with a unity of purpose and - however we voted in the referendum last June - we come together with a determination to make a success of the years ahead.
"Because together we can do great things.
"As I have said many times in the past, people can have faith in me because I have faith in them.
"I believe in the British people. I believe that with determination, ingenuity and common sense, we can use this moment of great national change to shape a better future for Britain.
"So, this is the time to choose."
Earlier this week Mrs May warned that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was not prepared for Brexit negotiations and would go into talks with Brussels - scheduled to begin on 19 June - "alone and naked".
Nearly a year after the EU referendum, the PM said this election gives voters an opportunity to "affirm" their decision to leave by voting for her to continue in Downing Street.
"If they do, I am confident that we can fulfil the promise of Brexit together and build a Britain that is stronger, fairer and even more prosperous than it is today," she said.
"Because the promise of Brexit is great - the opportunities before us enormous."
Mrs May, who backed Remain in the referendum, said she believes Brexit provides an opportunity to make the UK "more global and outward-looking - a Britain alive with possibilities, more confident in itself, more united and more secure, a country our children and grandchildren are proud to call home".
"As we come together behind this great national mission - to make a success of Brexit and of the opportunities it brings - we will build a more united country as our shared values, interests and aspirations bring us together," she said.
"This is the prize - the opportunity that is within reach. A stronger, more secure and prosperous nation. A brighter, fairer future for all.
"It's what makes the decision you face next week so vital."